This radicchio strudel is a tasty and easy to prepare delicacy. I like radicchio very much, cooked or raw, and the combination with speck and cheese couldn’t be better.
When I first saw this radicchio strudel recipe, I thought it was prepared with puff pastry, but, what a pleasant surprise, it isn’t! It is a homemade pastry that comes out very easily and has a wonderful taste, other than an irresistible aroma while in the oven.
I followed the recipe I found on the Italian blog La Cucina Imperfetta, using speck and gruyere cheese. If you don’t have speck, or maybe it is not easy to find in your zone, a good raw ham (country ham) thinly sliced will work really well. The same for the cheese, as you can use your favorite one.
Radicchio Strudel
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: tested by Ana
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour
- a scant ¼ cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1½ Tbsp water
- 1 pinch of salt
- 18 ounces radicchio
- 8 thin slices of speck
- 4.5 ounces sliced cheese (I used gruyere)
- salt
- extra virgil olive oil
- 1 egg to brush
Instructions
- Put the flour and the cold butter in your food processor and turn on for some seconds.
- Add egg, water and a pinch of salt and turn on some more seconds.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and work it just enough to have it well combined and compact.
- Cover it with plastic wrap and ut in the fridge to rest.
- Wash the radicchio and cut it in wedges.
- Put a thread of extra virgin olive oil in a pan and add radicchio. Salt it. Cook it both sides and let it cool.
- Turn on the oven 390°F.
- Take the dough from the fridge and, using a rolling pin and a clean dishcloth where you spread some flour, enlarge it forming a rectangle. Try to make it thin and about 15 x 30 inches (more or less, don't worry about it).
- Put the radicchio in the middle of the rectangle, creating a rectangle of radicchio in the middle of the dough, covering approx half of it.
- Put a flat pan on the gas and lightly cook the speck slices.
- Add the cheese slices to the radiccio and cover with the speck slices.
- Cover the filling with both sides of the dough, closing it with the bottom and top strips.
- Carefully and helping yourself with the dishcloth, turn it upside down to have the entire part up and transfer it to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
- Lightly beat the egg and brush it.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden.
- Serve it hot or warm.
- Buon appetito!
